The Orionids meteor shower is caused by Halley’s comet and happens in October every year. This year, their peak will be between the night of October 20 and the morning of October 21, according to EarthSky. During its peak, you can expect to see up to 20 meteors per hour. Unfortunately, the peak happens when the Moon will be about 20 per cent full, but that will not completely interfere with the viewing.
Origin of the Orionids meteor shower
According to Time and Date, the Orionids meteor shower happens when the Earth passes through the debris left behind by Halley’s Comet and this debris burns on entry into the planet’s atmosphere. It is the second meteor shower caused by the comet, with the first one being the Eta Aquarids shower in May. Since the comet takes about 76 years to revolve around the Sun once, it will be next seen in 2061.
It is named the Orionids shower after the constellation Orion because that is where the meteors will seem to emerge from during the shower.
How to view the Orionids meteor shower
The first thing you need to do is to find a spot away from the light pollution of the city. Once you do that, take out any of the many interactive sky map apps on your smartphone and point it at the sky to spot the Orion constellation. After that, make yourself comfortable and watch out for meteors that will appear to come from that direction.
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